How long were Bill Gates and Melinda French together? Microsoft co-founder looks back on divorce, says he is regretful

Bill Gates shared a few thoughts about his marriage with his ex-wife Melinda French. During an exclusive interview with The Times published on January 25, 2025, the American businessman looked back at his life, initial struggles, and marriage.

Gates and French were married for 27 years after tying the knot in 1994 in Hawaii. They first met in 1987 when French began working as a Product Manager at Microsoft. While reflecting on his divorce from French, Gates said:

“That was the mistake I most regret.”

About the separation being one of the failures in his life, he added:

“You would have to put that at the top of the list. There are others but none that matter. The divorce thing was miserable for me and Melinda for at least two years.”

In the interview, Bill Gates shared that while he encouraged French to be a bit calmer than his mother, they were both highly driven. He acknowledged spending more time with their kids than his father did, but admitted the balance still leaned heavily toward Melinda handling most parenting duties.

Despite this, he fondly remembered their family time together. Their relationship seemed to work well, with French playfully keeping him grounded, and encouraging him to help with tasks like setting the table and homework. Gates reflected on the joy of sharing a lifetime of memories, raising children, and building a deep connection with one partner.

Gates and French parted ways in 2021. They have three kids together — Jennifer Gates Nassar, Rory Gates, and Phoebe Gates.

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Bill Gates said he was ‘fairly’ successful when he met Melinda French

In the interview, Bill Gates explained that when he met French, he was "fairly" successful but not to the extreme level he later achieved during their time together. She supported him through many challenges, and he says in the interview that despite no longer being together, they still see each other. He praised their children, too:

“Melinda and I still see each other — we have three kids and two grandchildren so there are family events. The kids are doing well. They have good values.”

In 2000, the couple’s charitable organizations were restructured into the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with both serving as board members. Bill Gates described their work as an equal partnership, highlighting French's optimism, interest in science, and stronger people skills compared to his own. While he focused more on areas like immunology, he acknowledged her complementary strengths.

Us Weekly reported that in a Netflix documentary, Gates had this to say about French:

“In the case of Melinda, it is a truly equal partner,” adding: “She’s a lot like me in that she is optimistic and she is interested in science. She is better with people than I am. She’s a tiny bit less hardcore about knowing, you know, immunology, than I am.”

According to Today, Bill Gates and Melinda French announced their decision to end the marriage in May 2021 through matching statements on social media. They shared that, after much consideration and effort, they decided to part ways. Over their 27 years together, they achieved significant milestones like building a global foundation dedicated to improving lives. Gates is now dating Paula Hurd.